Labels instigate social media campaign to support record shops during COVID-19 crisis

A global initiative will launch on Thursday to help support
independent music stores around the world, which – like grassroots music
venues – are now under huge strain as measures increase to restrict and
delay the spread of COVID-19.

The people behind the initiative say that “with many of these stores
now experiencing a catastrophic drop-off in footfall or having already
closed their doors there are fears that some may not survive if
something is not done urgently to stimulate sales”. Artists and labels
are being encouraged to take part in a social media campaign to help put
the spotlight on music retailers, and to encourage fans to support
those record stores online.

At the core of the campaign will be a series of videos featuring
artists and celebrity music fans talking about their favourite
independent music stores, and the acts, tracks and albums they
discovered there. The videos will be used to encourage fans to continue
to support their favourite and local record shops by ordering stock from
their websites.

Jason Rackham, MD of [PIAS], who is leading what is being called the
#loverecordstores initiative, explains: “Independent record stores have
played a key role in supporting and developing artists and their music
for decades, so now it is time for music companies and the artists they
represent to step up and give something back”.

“We must support these small businesses if they are to survive this
crisis”, he goes on, “and at the same time we can still play a big part
in helping them to continue to introduce their customers to new music.
By speaking directly to their audiences about the importance of record
stores and encouraging music fans to continue shopping with them online,
artists can play a big part in helping secure the survival of this
vital part of our industry”.

The boss of the Beggars Group, Martin Mills, is also supporting the
initiative. He says: “I started life in a record store. Record stores
are incubators for great music, and for musicians. In these incredible
times they can still serve up what you need, so please ‘visit’ them
online, patronise them, support them and help them survive. We’ll need
them on the other side”.

Among the retailers welcoming the campaign is Laura Kennedy, co-owner
of Piccadilly Records in Manchester, who says, “Piccadilly Records has
been around since the late 1970s and over the years we have faced lots
of challenges, but nothing on the scale of what we face at the moment.
It’s with a heavy heart therefore that we have closed our doors this
weekend and it’s going to be tough”.

“Our website and mail order department are going to keep going as
normal while the shop is closed and there are still plenty of records
being released”, she adds. “We’ve all got difficult times ahead but if
we all stick together I’m sure we’ll get through”.